Haunt

Barry Angel Tracks the IHOP Conclave - Part 2 of 2

Prelude - Three Years Ago, October 2019

Through the night, I learned their nicknames. Mama Vamp leads the Vamps. Ladybug, Moth, Bones, Alcina, Leta, Busey, Sarah, Wolfie, and Box Vampire are among her group. Swamp is led by Papa Legba, and Suzy the Rumham, Stitches, Saint Jimmy, Ronnie Tightbritches, Draven, Doctor Fancylier, Tophat, Pin Needle, and Crookshanks are on their side. I love their nicknames, like puzzle pieces from a Lewis Carroll book. They share their work stories. Stories are accompanied by a silver bill that they display proudly. These "Boo Bucks" are the same size and shape as regular dollars, but these are made of magazine paper and decorated with the faces of monsters instead of presidents. Swamp has more of these dollars to show than the Vampires.

Mr. Pin Needle boasted, "I got two Boo-Bucks for making a dude fall over. It scared the shit out of everyone behind him too."

Suzie the Rumham whipped out two Boo-Bucks. "I got these using the crocodile!"

"Nothing beats mine," Dr. Fancylier waved around a rare five-dollar Boo-Buck. "I got this from scaring Tucker." He slammed it down on the table like the winning hand in a poker game. Swamp's members were all "ooohs," while the Vampires were scornful as they pretended not to care nor to believe that Tucker could be scared.

One of the Vampire girls stood up; it was Ladybug. Everyone looked her way. Mama Vamp tried to pull her back down worriedly. Ladybug, nervous yet firm, stated, "You're giving me anxiety! You know, we'd have a lot more Boo Bucks, but all of our real scary Vamps are in the Blood Pack! They're always super busy!"

Her comment drew consternation. Some agreed with her, while others, like Box Vampire, were offended at the idea that they needed the Blood Pack to have a good haunted house.

Vampire Busey said, "It's all so political!"

Bones added, "We're the oldest, most famous house. We don't need accolades. They're just showing love to the newbies. We've had all the love already. Our train alone could win us house of the night every night, but it wouldn't be fair to anyone else."

The dominant voice, Papa Lega from Swamp, silenced everyone with his low Creole accent. "I'm sure you'd like to think that." The Vampires didn't find him funny. "Perhaps we should put it to the test. All I hear are excuses. But we can't know for sure, can we? Maybe we should make a little game, eh?"

At the word game, Mama Vamp finally chimed in. She was a petite woman, but the Vampires gathered around her as if she were the queen. "A game? You're on! We should discuss it at the lot."

The lot? Barry wondered.

"Yes. Let's." Said the young Tophat. "While I have your attention," He raised his cup of cola. "To another brutal night of Haunt! And to another Halloween!"

Despite any tensions, they clinked their cups together.

Barry sat his mug down. As he'd told Georgia, he did envy these people: their companionship, if nothing else. He was not good with people. What exactly puts the professors so on edge?

The screamsters finished their food, paid, then left in a hurry. They got in their vehicles around the same time and drove south. Barry followed shortly behind, distantly trailing and paying attention to one of their vehicles.

It didn't take long for Barry to find their rendezvous place. Their festivities were just down the street, past a small bridge and a patch of woods already barren of its leaves. They parked along a gravel lot in front of a closed building devoid of signage. They gathered in front of the building's garage near a stack of wooden pallets.

It was all the information Barry needed for the night. Barry kept on driving.

*****

Sunday, October 13. Tonight, I park on the gravel driveway of the old building where the Vampires and the Swamp-denizens have their little meetups. Everyone in the everyday world was on their way home, but the Haunt employees were still hard at work and wouldn't arrive for hours. I had plenty of time.